Press releases
Clusters, a model of regional competitiveness, supported by the European Union
Clusters as drivers of green, digital and resilient economic competitiveness, their role in triggering and delivering processes in a circular economy were the topic of the International Conference of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) 2021, held online from 7 to 8 December this year. The messages of the speakers and participants highlighted that clustering boosts economic development, revitalises industrial sectors and provides the necessary framework for regional development, research and innovation. The development of clusters in the Republic of Moldova is one of the main elements to strengthen regional competitiveness, and the European Union through the “EU4Moldova: key regions” programme will come up in 2022 with financial instruments aimed at developing more clusters in the regions of Cahul and Ungheni. The programme is implemented by UNDP and UNICEF.
Clusters have a key role to play in the COVID-19 crisis and strong commitment, efforts and coordinated action from all stakeholders are needed to support their creation and development, said Sergiu Gaibu Minister for Economic Affairsin his opening remarks at the event: “Clusters have shown performance in many countries. Due to their different configurations, the Republic of Moldova needs to find its own efficient and competitive models on both the internal and international markets. Clusters in rural areas or agriculture will be different from those in innovation or information technologies. For this reason, the Ministry of Economy will support the piloting of cluster models until we identify the most successful one to be replicated and widely used in the economy.”
The European Union supports and strengthens cluster development by providing financial assistance for the purchase of machinery and equipment, as well as technical assistance to increase the capacities of several clusters in the Cahul and Ungheni regions.
Deputy Head of Operations of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, Gintautas Baranauskas he mentioned on that occasion: “This event organised in cooperation with the EU4Moldova Programme: Key regions of the European Union have emphasised the role of clusters as drivers of green, digital and resilient economic competitiveness in the Republic of Moldova. This is absolutely essential and I would like to underline that the EU4Moldova Programme: Key regions have a transformative green agenda that, at local level, replicates the European Green Deal approach. It is now important to scale up the action as soon as possible. The European Union is already providing the necessary financial support to strengthen local value chains and clusters in the regions of Cahul and Ungheni. This is tangible support to boost economic recovery and improve the business environment with the ultimate goal of ensuring green and long-lasting economic development.”
Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova stated: “I am confident that the discussions at this conference will be a momentum and a good basis for the Republic of Moldova, in particular for the regions of Cahul and Ungheni, to catalyse investments based on the principles of circular and innovative economy, participatory planning; it will provide not only valuable knowledge and information about innovations, but also opportunities for partnership between a variety of public and private sector entities, in the country and abroad.”
“It is already well known that domestic SMEs face a multitude of challenges and do not have sufficient capacities to grow and face rising global competition. At the same time, international experience shows that clusters help SMEs to become more resilient, innovative, competitive and better integrated into global value chains. The development of this sector is a relatively new activity for the Moldovan economy and is still emerging. For clusters, the role of the state is very important and extends beyond providing only a basic institutional and legal framework. Under the current circumstances, the state also has the task of stimulating interaction between members, as we see that local entrepreneurs are hesitant towards other SMEs, educational establishments or even public institutions.”stated Dumitru Pintea, ODIMM Acting Director-General.
According to the experts participating in the conference, international experience shows that the association of manufacturing companies, suppliers and state and private institutions operating in a given sector (cluster networking) enhances technological performance and productivity, contributing to companies’ competitiveness, market expansion and increased visibility.
New models of collaboration that would accelerate economic development by revitalising key sectors and providing an environment for research, innovation and regional development were discussed at the conference. In this respect, increased attention has been paid to opportunities to incorporate the ‘circular economy’ and ‘digitalisation’ dimensions in the context of cluster development.
The sustainable development of clusters and the enhancement of their international competitiveness must also be the result of the development and application of new technologies and principles, by updating the technological process while respecting the principles of environmental protection.
The International Conference of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises brought together government representatives, development partners, business and academia, research, public administration, with a total of 300 participants from the country and abroad. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Moldova, the Organisation for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (ODIMM) and the “EU4Moldova: Key Regions” Programme, with the financial support of the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the organisations Europolis and InPulse.
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